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On Saturday the world will witness two of the most experienced and elite fighters ever go toe-to-toe in the ring.

Vasyl Lomachenko and Guillermo Rigondeaux have made the fight everyone dared to dream about and in Madison Square Garden we may just see the crowning of the pound-for-pound king of boxing.

It is a fight certainly going under the mainstream radar, but it is a contest every purest boxing fan should be drooling over. This contest has all the ingredients to produce the greatest boxing fight ever.

The speed and showmanship of Lomachenko up against the steel and composure of Rigondeaux. Here we break down the fight and try to predict who will come out on top.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES…

‘Hi Tech’ and ‘El Chacal’ are two of the best fighters on the planet, but for their fight at junior lightweight the odds are slightly more stacked on Lomachenko’s side.

The Ukrainian is almost eight years younger and demonstrates a speed and timing few would thought possible for a mortal man.

Lomachenko also has a slight height advantage, which will help nullify the near three-inch reach his opponent has over him.

AMATEUR RECORD

Lomachenko
412 fights
2 losses
2 x Olympic gold medal (2008, 2012)

Combined amateur record: 872 fights

Rigondeaux
475 fights
12 losses
2 x Olympic gold medals (2000, 2004)

Rigondeaux’s long arms have helped him keep his past opponents at arms length while delivering telling blows. Lomachenko likes the pocket and will presumably look to move in close and cut the distance.

Lomachenko will have to break down one of the most stern defences in the sport, but Rigondeaux could conceivably switch gears for this fight in a bid to match the WBO champion.

Another disadvantage for Rigondeaux is the weight. He is a seasoned super-bantamweight and his piling on eight extra pounds for this fight. There’s no telling how the extra pounds will affect him, but it is well-documented that Lomachenko is devastating at junior lightweight.

Lomachenko will be hoping the weight will make Rigondeaux that extra second slower, which will make his speed all the more destructive.

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Both men stake a claim for history’s greatest ever amateur boxers, but Rigondeaux will think he can draw on his experience. Lomachenko is not immune to the pressure, as he showed when he was beaten by Orlando Salido in just his second pro fight.

Rigondeaux, on the other hand, is 17 pro fights to the good and has mixed up stoppages with long-haul fights. Rigondeaux is simply more accustomed to the pro ranks.

Lomachenko reactions and speed prompts fans to call him the matrix (Picture: Getty)

Rigondeaux is considered one of the most avoided men in boxing (Picture: Getty)

But, in eight years the Cuban has fought just 17 times. This could be a key factor in this showdown. Rigondeaux has registered just three rounds since his ten-round clash with Drian Francisco in November 2015.

Lomachenko has been as active in the pro ranks as the amateurs. He’s racked up ten fights since making his debut in 2013.

The 29-year-old is more ring sharp than Rigondeaux, who has found it incredibly difficult to find opponents willing to face him.

WHAT MAKES IT FASCINATING…

(Picture: Getty).

This is a clash of two of the most respected and awe-inspiring fighters in boxing today. As in the amateur ranks, Lomachenko and Rigondeaux give off the sense they are untouchable.

Rigondeaux has defended his unbeaten record with an easy destruction while Lomachenko’s speed and charisma in the ring has continued to fascinate his admirers and detractors.

Ranked No.2 and No.3 in the pound-for-pound rankings, there is hardly a better match-up. Rigondeaux’s spirit dragged him away from Cuba and into the ring with Lomachenko.

The Ring's Pound-For-Pound Rankings

He is stepping up eight pounds to face the younger man, but the challenge is nothing compared to a man that was once Fidel Castro’s favourite fighter and who has defected twice.

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In contrast, Lomachenko happily carries the weight of Ukraine on his shoulders every time he steps in to fight. He is the golden child of boxing in his homeland.

It’s rare we get two elite fighters willing to face off. Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin gave the world the middleweight clash it craved, now Lomachenko and Rigondeaux will give the purest the bout they dreamed of.

LAST FIGHT…

Lomachenko toyed with Miguel Marriaga in his last fight (Picture: Getty)

Lomachenko vs Miguel Marriaga – Aug 5 2017

Lomachenko knocked Miguel Marriaga down three times on the way to successfully defending his WBO junior lightweight title for the third time.

It was a brutal, dominating performance with the Ukraine teeing off from the first bell.

Marriaga could not contain Lomachenko’s speed and variety and the smiling champion taunted him through-out.

Rigondeaux vs Moises Flores – June 17 2017

Rigondeaux is held by referee Vik Drakulich (Picture: Getty)

The last man to step in the ring with Rigondeaux lasted just three minutes, but it was a controversial night for the most avoided man in boxing.

Mexican Moises Flores was floored by a left hand, but the shot came after the first round bell had rung.

The fight was called off and eventually overturned to a no-contest, which preserved Rigondeaux’s unbeaten record, but struck off his 18th win.

WORD FROM FIGHTERS…

Lomachenko’s threats

(Picture: Getty)

‘I said I am going to walk through him like a tank. They are two different things. I am going to walk through him like a tank and knock him out. They are two different impressions. I am like every single fighter – going into the ring I have in my mind ‘finish the bout before all the rounds are over and to get the victory before that. There is a good possibility that the fight will end before the twelfth round. I am not promising to knock him out but I am promising to squash him.’

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Rigondeaux unconcerned with scorecards

(Picture: Getty)

‘There are bigger things than that in my sports career, but it would be something important [to beat him] and better things will come after this fight. I am one hundred percent, because we are fast, well prepared and that is what we know best: speed, the ability to fight, and we will do very well. I’m fine and I know what I have to do in the ring – the one that should worry, is Lomachenko. I’m not worried at all [about the judges], I do not care, I just know that I have to do my job and win convincingly, win very clearly.’

METRO.CO.UK’S PREDICTION…

There is so much to consider in this fight, but we are swaying towards Lomachenko. The odds are stacked in his favour and a superb fighter like him should be able to utilise his strengths.

It’s his weight, he has the height, he has the active record and he’s the younger man. We’re going with Lomachenko.